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September 5, 2007

G140: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 4

Troy Glaus's solo home run down the left field line off MDC in the top of the eighth erased a 4-3 Boston lead and Vernon Wells's two-run home run to center off Jeemer in the top of the ninth broke the tie.

Jason Varitek was on base four times tonight: walking in the second and fifth, hitting a two-run dong in the sixth and singling in the eighth. Crisp singled and doubled, Ortiz singled twice and walked, and Ellsbury doubled and scored a run.

Schilling has made five starts since coming off the disabled list on August 6: 31 IP, 31 H, 2 BB, 15 K, 3.48 ERA.

Marcum has pitched at least six innings in 17 of his 21 starts this year, teaming up with AJ Burnett as Toronto's top two starters. However, Marcum's ERA in his last three outings (14 IP) is 7.71 and opponents are .393/.433/.656. (His record in those three starts is 2-1, so Joe Morgan would insist he's doing quite well.)

I just watched a very dramatic and exciting ending to what appeared to be an easy Phillies win over the Braves.

The score was 8-2 going to the bottom of the 8th in Atlanta. Tom Gordon came in to pitch, and Chipper Jones greeted him with a lead-off double. Mark Teixiera went F9, and then the bloops began.

I don't think I've ever seen so many bloop hits before. Brian McCann blooped to right center, then Jeff Francouer blooped just over Chase Utley's head into right field to score Jones. 8-3. Scott Thorman pinch-hit, and blooped a single to shallow left to load the bases.

So Gordon couldn't get the job done. Charlie Manuel called upon his closer, Brett Myers, for a five-out save. Bases loaded for Yunel Escobar. Myers threw a pitch that kicked off of the catcher and a run scored. 8-4. Escobar then walked to load the bases once again. Up came Matt Diaz, and he blooped one on the infield that didn't even make it to the infield dirt. Francouer scored. 8-5.

Willie Harris, who hit his second home run of the season earlier, came up and walked with the bases loaded. Thorman scored. 8-6.

That's all the Braves would get in the bottom of the eighth, as Kelly Johnson fouled out to third and Chipper Jones flew out to left.

8-6 into the bottom of the 9th, and it looked like Brett Myers was on cruise control. He struck out Mark Teixiera, then got Brayan Pena to ground out to first.

2 out in the bottom of the 9th. It looked like the Braves were cooked. But Jeff Francouer came up and hit a little ducksnort toward shortstop in the infield and reached, then took second on indifference. Martin Prado took over for Chipper Jones in the top of the 9th as part of a double switch. He hit a Baltimore chop right off of home plate that bounced to the right of the pitcher, and Myers' throw was high.

Men at the corners with two out for Yunel Escobar, the winning run. He walked on four pitches to load the bases for... Matt Diaz.

Diaz took a first strike, then on the next pitch hit one to right field. The back-story here is that the Phillies outfielders were in closer because of all of those bloop hits in the 8th. Chris Roberson rushed back, back, back, and almost to the track reached up. The ball hit the edge of his mitt and fell, rolling to the wall.

Francouer scored, as did Prado. Escobar rounded third as the throw came in just a little wide of home plate, and Escobar scored...

Braves win. Such an amazing comeback. 8-2 in the bottom of the 8th inning, and the Braves score 4. 2 out in the bottom of the 9th with the bases empty, the Braves load the bases and then score three to win it.

ish, that is crazy. Glad to see man- and woman-beater Brett Myers blow it in that fashion. That's so weird, because within the last few hours, I wrote a blog entry about a commercial I heard which mentions a "walk-off triple." My contention was that this hardly ever happens, and is in fact nearly impossible. As I'm reading the end of your description, I'm thinking, Oh my lord, sounds like this actually could be a walk-of triple! I checked Gameday, though, and he was credited with a double. Proving my theory! (Did you happen to see how close the hitter got to third?)

I;m off to the game right now, so if you answer this, I can't respond til later....

The Baseball Hall of Fame will be including the scorecard of Providence Journal reporter Joe McDonald in the display on Clay Buchholz’ no hitter that it is putting together.

I hear the HoF asked the CHB for his, but ultimately said no after they discovered that Dan had scribbled "ah hell", "fuckin' rook" and "great, now i have to write something positive about the sox" on it.

So was checking out Bill Burt's Talks Sports (Bradfords old blog) when I came accross this comment by Mr. Joshua - We need to replace Schilling next year. I don’t know where all these players come from next year. We have so many holes up and down this lineup. This is not a playoff team. We might get by the Indians but never the Angels nor the Yankees for that matter.

I’ d rather 3 and out and get rid of Theo and Lucky Larry. Change the ownership group.

when did we get clement? just kidding. i was really pulling for the guy. he looked dominant his first 1/2 year with the sox, but fell apart after that. he could help down the stretch in spot starts to get starters some rest or in long relief before the playoffs. 1st inning dong?

got into an argument yesterday with a yankee fan who told me that the yankees do not care about winning the division and that they would gladly trade one of their division titles from the last 7 years for a world series title, so winning the division means nothing. he mentioned the sweep last week and how it will happen again...i reminded him of a three game losing streak that ended in the worst choke in sports history...things got quiet. it's not worth the time to talk to these boneheaded people.

I would be surprised if he didn't make one appearance. From all indications he has worked very hard in the Rehab and is on track. Plus he just wants to pitch one inning, and that should be easily done.

Plus he just wants to pitch one inning, and that should be easily done.

Reminds me a little bit of a game earlier in the season in Chicago. The Cubs were getting blown out and they brought in Kerry Wood for one inning. Wrigley field suddenly burst to life. It was a little bit of a shaky inning, but he got two strikes on a batter with 2 out, and the place was rockin'. Then he struck him out, and you would have thought the Cubbies had just clinched a spot in the playoffs.

fuck, bases loaded and nothing. well i hope that doesnt comeback to bite us in the ass.

yanks will be three games up after they finish it up in the bronx.question: does that pretty much seal the deal for the yanks? do you really see seattle getting hot in this last month to comeback? (remember its a question, not an opnion before you jump up my ass)

Seattle looks like they're cooked, to me. I think Detroit has one more run at the wildcard in them, but it will be close. Seattle just seems to be going the wrong way. Then again, so does Detroit. But Detroit looks like too good a team to be out of it.

when (besides '04) have the yankees been known to blow it in the clutch? don't they have more championships than anyone in the history of sports? (makes me cringe)didnt they build up a pretty in reputation in the 90's?remember im a sox fan. it just never dawned on me that they we notorius for blowng shit. (BESIDES '04!)

they/mo choked in 01, then they choked in the first round in 02, fell on their face to josh and the marlins in 03, had the biggest choke job in the history of baseball in 04, i forget what happened in 05, disappeared against the tigers in 06 ...

i dont know if losing in the 7th game in the WS in both VERY CLOSE games counts as blowing it/choking. its not like they had a 3-0 lead in the series like in '04. so even if you the 2000's i still dont think thats what they are known for...thats just me. they're definitely not the yanks of old, and we're not the yesterdays sox either, and i'm happier for it.

fyi: i have deleted 3 comments tonight from a yankees fan that have been directed at various posts here, all written in real time.

so this guy is sitting at home, following the game thread at jos inning after inning after inning, quickly typing comments that will never be read. (actually he has commented numerous times in each of the last 3 games.)

to really make it puckering i call jays score 3 in this half inning or does that exclude a walkoff? however many runs they can score while still allowing for a large lefty longball lifting the sox to victory.